Dear Dumb Runner,On my regular run, I encounter several people whose dogs are not on leashes. When one of these dogs jumps up on me/chases me/starts running around my feet, the owner inevitably assures me, "Don't worry, he's friendly." My typical response is a wan smile as I try to thread around the dog. But, c'mon—your dog is not acting friendly, and I'm not out here looking for puppy friends! Do you have any better solutions?—Melissa

Dear Melissa,

I've seen this question a lot, but I've never heard a satisfactory answer.

Usually what you get is some wishy-washy Ann Landers-type stuff—you half-expect to hear, "Ask the dog to go to counseling with you; if he won't, go alone"—or tips from a dog training website on how to behave around dogs of questionable temperament. Never can I imagine anyone actually taking the advice and using it to good effect in the real world.

How do you deal with a dog owner who's probably a nice enough person but who is obviously clueless about the effect his dog is having? How do you voice your concerns in a way that doesn't instantly put him on the defensive and ignore you (best case) or lead to shouting and threats of violence (worst case)?

Put more simply: How do you approach a total stranger and tell him, essentially, that he's kind of being a jerk... without having it blow up in your face?

Mark Remy's DumbRunner.com

DumbRunner.com is a website for runners who enjoy laughter and pie, from longtime writer and marathoner Mark Remy. Dumb Runner offers humor, insight, and 100% B.S.-free advice for runners of all abilities.